The following is an excerpt from the "Getting Them Sober, volume 3" book (the second half of the book details the 350 secondary diseases to alcoholism). In this interview, I'm asking Dr. Milam to talk about why still-drinking alcoholics cannot stay even-relatively physically well by taking supplements, not smoking, exercising and meditating daily.

Here's James Milam, bestselling author of the classic "Under the Influence" book--

"Most diseases have borderline stages as well as full-blown manifestations. Alcoholism very often is the one factor that pushes a "tendency" to have the disease over the edge into a full-blown manifestation......Epilepsy is one example. Many people are borderline epileptics. Normally, they never manifest the disease. But during even MILD alcoholic withdrawal, a borderline patient may go over the edge. Many patients on Dylantin in active alcoholism never need it after sobriety.

"Virtually all diseases have borderline degrees, except when alcoholism pushes them over.

"I am asked, "What if I take vitamins? Can I stop or ward off the effects of alcoholism?"

"The effects of alcoholic drinking are so powerful -- one is in such a chronic toxic state -- it cancels benefits of proper vitamins, jogging, and nutrition. A very watchful-of-his-diet alcoholic just slightly slows the deterioration.

"It's not what gets into your gut that counts; it's what gets into your bloodstream. Your liver, etc., is constantly fighting to survive the chronic toxic attacks. Also, the cells cannot properly process their own waste materials, and they, therefore, are awash in their own toxins. Nutritional supplements have a VERY slight effect on this.

"Early researchers studied skid-row alcoholics and found malnutrition. They thought it was due to their poor diets. But as private patients became available for study, they found the same results.

"Alcoholism SERIOUSLY interferes with EVERY stage of absorption, conversation, and utilization of nutritional materials.

"So, the entire body is really toxic AND malnourished -- therefore, it is less able to ward off these diseases. The liver swells, to try to contain the toxins, so that they don't spread to the rest of the body. The liver is the major organ that has the job of controlling and converting toxins to waste materials. A liver that is THAT polluted doesn't have the capacity to do much else, i.e., its normal work, in getting rid of toxins, in warding off diseases."